Fastening device for hinged box members



C. C. ARMSTRONG.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR HINGED BOX MEMBERS.

' QAPPLICAUON FILED OCT. 1, 1919.

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CHARLES C. ARMSTRONG; OF HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

FASTENING nnvicn non. nmenn BOX MEMBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11119 29, 1920.

Application filed October 1, 1919. Serial No. 327,701.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. ARM STRONG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Huntington, West Virginia, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Fastening Devices for Hinged Box Members,of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to combined fastening devices and locksdesigned more especially for boxes of the type comprising two tray likemembers hinged together with an intermediate hinged flap such as disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me July 4,1916, under No. 1189902.

The invention aims to provide a combined lock and latch which may bereadily struck up from sheet metal and which shall be com posed of aminimum number of parts there by greatly reducing the cost ofmanufacture.

I have also aimed to provide'a combined lock and latch in which one ofthe members of the fastening device shall serve as securing means forthe handle.

With these and other objects in view the invention includes the novelfeatures of construction and arrangement and combination of partshereinafter described and defined by the appended claims.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingin which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the box.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a partial central transverse section.

Fig. 4 is a partial tion through the closed box showing the fasteningdevice as it would appear from the inside of the box.

Fi 5 is a detail plan view and Figs. 6 and T are plan views of the twosheet metal members which comprise the fasteningdevice.

In these drawings 1 and 2 comprise the two main members of the box whichis shown as representative of any device to which my improved lock orfastening may be applied, each of which is shown in the form of anelongated shallow tray, these two members being hinged together at 3.The member 1.is provided with a turned edge 4 and the member 2 isprovided with a flared edge 5 adapted to fit over the turned edge 4,when one memberis swung over upon the central longitudinal secothermember as shown in Fig. 3. A leaf or flap 8 is provided hinged aboutthesame axis as the hinged members at 3. The flap or leaf 8 is adaptedto cover either member 1 or 2, of the box.

My improved locking device is shown as applied to the box at the point12 (Fig. 2) and this, in addition to locking the two main memberstogether, will lock the flap or leaf 8 in position by engaging the edgeof the,

opening at, 8 formed in said leaf. The wall of this opening is adaptedto engage the end 15 of the catch 15 forming a part of the lock, thiscatch having. its edge inclined for the edge of the opening to rideagainst.

A finger opening is provided at 8 by which.

the user may lift the leaf from the catch, it being necessary for himhowever to exert slight pressure laterally or in the direction of thearrow on in Fig. 8' to spring the catch out of connection with the'edge8 of the leafv The catchgwhich serves to hold the two box sectionstogether and to retain the partition is formed as an integralpart of asingle blank, shown in Fig. 6, which also serves as the catch spring,cooperates with. the lock and is utilized as means for retaining thehandle which is indicated at 18. i T

To this end this blank is stamped fromsuitable spring metal, andcomprises a cross bar 15 with portions 15 and 15 extending transverselyfrom opposite sides thereof.

The extremity 15 of the portion 15 is folded over' upon itself to formthe catch hereinbefore referred to as shown in Fig. 3 and it is providedwith anoopening. d designed to engage a projection 1* carried by the boxsection 1. The two end portions of the bar 15 are designed tobe securedto the inner face of the front Wall of box section 2 by suitable means,such as rivets 6 andthe portion 15 has its end folded back upon itselfto form a holder, for the 1 movablemember of thelock. y This comprises asingle sheet metal stamp ing having its main portion of substantiallysaucer shape as indicated at 16 surmounted by a struck up circular'boss16*? which is designed to engage a circular opening 6 in the overturnedportion 15after said movable member has been inserted therebeneath, saidcircular boss forming a pivot on which said movable member oscillates. I

The central portion of this boss is struck may be oscillated in themanner hereinafter described to lock and unlock the box.

The front wallof the box section 2 is provided with an opening in whichis inserted a push button 17 which is preferably formed by stamping up apiece of sheet metal into cup shape having its closed outer faceprovided with a key slot 17 and having on its inner edge a marginalflange 17 designed to overlie the inner face of. the'box. section 2beneath the member 15 by which it is held in position. The member 15being of spring metal holds the push button normally pressed outwardlyin the positionshown in Fig 8, but pressure on the push button forcesthe central portion of the member 15 inwardly toward the interior of thebox,

removing the-edge of opening (5 from en-' gagement with projection lthus releasing the catch or latch which holds the box sections together.

One of the rivet: holes, either in the member 15' or in the box section2 iselongated to permit the flexing of the member or bar 15.

The member 15 is also provided with an alining key opening 7 and asuitable key may be inserted therethroughand on turning the key its webor bit will engage the projection 16 and rotate the member 16.-

This member is providedwith alocking projection 16 which is designed toengage an undercut recess or slot 1 in the projection 1 thereby holdingthe portion 15 against inward movement and preventing the disengagementof the catch.

The member 16 is provided with ears or projections 1Q? which-engage theedges of the base of portion 15 and serve as stops for limiting themovement of member 16 and the member 15 is provided with struck upbosses 15 which bear against the faces of projections 16 and offerfrictional resistance to its movement, thus holdingit in its locking orunlocking position.

I also utilize the member 15 as a means for securing the handle 18 tothe box and to-this end provide the ends of thebar with projectingportions 15 which are bent to semi-circular or hooked form and insertedthrough slots inthe front wall of the box. The straight alined endprojections of the handle are then placed in these hook shaped recesseswhere'after the bar 15 is'placed or swung flat against the inner wall ofthe box section, holding the handle securely in position. The projection1 may be made in the form ofa solid metal stud having a reduced portionpassed through an opening in the wallof'box section 1 and u set to holdit in place as clearly shownin ig; 3;

In the operation of my improved fastening means, when the lockingprojection is out of engagement with the slot l and it is desired toopen the box, an inward push upon the push button 17 will cause thetongue part 15 to move inward until the opening at ceases to engagethe'projection 1*, when the sections of the box may be swung apart. Asthe upper section Fig. 1 is opened or swung upwardly,the partition 8will be carried with it by engagement of the portion 15 with the leaf orpartition. After the said upper section has been swung back to ahorizontal position andit isdesired to have accessto the interiorthereof the leaf or partition may be swung away from section 1 bypressing catch portion 15 toward the front of the box (or to the leftfrom the position shown in Fig.1) which will bring its free or holdingends into alinement with the cut away portion of. the leaf or partitionwhich may then be swung away from section 1 by inserting the finger inthe opening 8.

When this box is closed and it is desiredto lock it against beingopenediexcept by the use of a key, such key is inserted in the aliningkey openings or slots 17 and 7 until its web or hit is in line with theprojectionlG" of the member 16. The turning of the key will thenrotatethe member 16 until its projection 16 engages the under cut portion orslot 1 in the projection 1 which under cut portion lies to the rear ofthe portion 15 of the spring tongue. In this position, the part 15 islocked against inward movement, or in other words, cannot be pushed inby pressure on the push piece or button and consequently the sectionsare locked together.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A lock or fastening device for box members comprising a bar ofresilient material having end portions secured to the box wall andhaving a projection overlying the other box section provided with anopening, a projection on the inner wall of said other box' sectionengaging said opening, and a push button seated in an opening in thefirst box section and operatively e11- gaging said resilient member. I2. A look orfastening device for box members comprising a bar ofresilient material having its ends secured to the inner wall of one boxsection, said bar having an integral projection ortongue overlying theother box section and provided with an opening, a keeper projection onsaid other box cover having an undercut recess, a push button carried bythe first named box section and operatively engaging said resilientmember, said push button having a key opening, and a key operated rotarymember carried by said resilient member having a projection designed toengage the recess in said keeper projection.

23. A look or fastening device for box members comprising a bar ofresilient material having its ends secured to the Wall of one section, akeeper on the other box section having a locking recess, a tongueprojecting from one side of said bar having a part to engage said keeperand a part disposed parallel to and overlying the central part of saidbar and provided with a recess, a rotary member between the saidoverlying part and said bar having a ooss rotatably seated in saidrecess, said rotary member having a keeper engaging pro ection, apushbutton in the wall of the first box section operatively engagingsaid bar, said push button and said bar having alining key openings, andsaid rotary member, a key bit engaging part.

4:. A look or fastening device for box members comprising a bar ofresilient material having its ends secured to the wall of one section, akeeper on the other box section having a locking recess, a tongueprojecting from one side of said bar having a part to engage said keeperand a part dis? posed parallel to and overlying the central part of saidbar and provided with a recess, a rotary member between the saidoverlying part and said bar having a boss rotatably seated in saidrecess, said rotary member having a keeper engaging projection, a pushbutton seated in an opening in the Wall of the first box section andhaving a marginal flange lying between said bar and said wall, said pushbutton and said bar having alining key receiving openings and saidrotary member, a key bit engaging part.

5. IX lock or fastening device for box members comprising a bar ofresilient material having its ends secured to the wall of one section, akeeper on the other box section having a locking recess, a tongueprojecting from one side of said bar having a part to engage said keeperand a part disposed parallel to and overlying the central part of saidbar and provided with a recess, a rotary member between the saidoverlying part and said bar having a boss rotatably seated in saidrecess, said rotary member having a keeper engaging projection, a pushbutton seated in an opening in the wall of the first box section andhaving a marginal flange lying between said bar and said wall, said pushbutton and said bar having alining key receiving openings and saidrotary member, a key bit engaging part, said rotary member havingintegral opposed stop projections.

6. In a fastening device for a box comprising two hinged sections and anintermediate hinged leaf provided with a recessed edge, a bar ofresilient material having its ends secured to the Wall of one boxsection, a keeper projection carried by the other box section, said barhaving a part projected through the recess in the leaf when the box isclosed and provided with an opening to receive the keeper projection,the portion of said part beyond the opening being inclined backwardlyand then doubled back on itself to form a leaf engaging catch, and meansfor springing said bar to disengage the keeper projection and opening.

7. In a fastening device for a box comprising two hinged sections and anintermediate hinged leaf, provided with a recessed edge, a bar ofresilient material having its ends secured to the wall of one of thesections, a keeper carried by the other box section, said bar having atransverse extension on one side provided with a recess to engage saidkeeper and having a doubled back end to form a leaf engaging catch, saidbar having a second projection provided with a part overlying thecentral portion of the bar provided with a recess, a rotary member lyingbetween the overturned part and bar and having a part rotatably engagingsaid recess, a push button carried by the first box section and engagingsaid rotary member, said push button and said bar having a key openingand said rotary member, a key bit engaging part, said rotary memberhaving a keeper engaging projection.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

CHARLES (J. ARMSTRONG.

